The Christmas of Adventure

©2015 June E.

Philip, Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann are excited at the prospect of spending their first Christmas together, but by Christmas Eve all their plans lie in ruins. Things get even worse when a severe snowstorm brings the country to a standstill and leaves Bill snowbound, hundreds of miles away. Forced to fend for themselves in Bill's remote moorland cottage, rumours abound of a strange and terrifying creature lurking in the woods nearby... and with a ruthless thief on the loose, striking at night and stealing birds from the local Sanctuary, the scene is set for a frightening and perilous adventure. Can they stop the thief before it's too late? Or will Kiki be the robber's next victim?

Chapter 19: 'I don't claim to have seen it – I did see it!'

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Jack and Dinah stood gasping for breath, both of them keeping a wary eye on the forest path behind them.

'Good heavens!' exclaimed Philip. 'Whatever's happened?'

It took a few minutes before either Jack or Dinah had recovered enough breath to reply.

Dinah was the first to speak.

'We... saw that... creature again...' she stammered out, in between taking big gulps of air. 'This time... it came after us.'

Lucy-Ann looked alarmed, and backed away from the opening in the fence. She stared hard into the forest, alert for any sight or sound of the creature.

'Are either of you hurt?' demanded Philip, looking the two exhausted children up and down. 'Goodness, you're soaking wet.'

'We're not hurt,' reassured Jack. 'We had to crawl through a stream, that's how we got soaked, and I must say I'm feeling jolly cold now.' His teeth were chattering and his face was ashen white, livened only by the light brown flecks of his freckles.

Just at that moment, a loud 'honk' bellowed out, and all four children nearly jumped out of their skin. Jack and Dinah spun round, looking wildly in the direction of the forest path, in case the creature had appeared.

'Calm down, you two,' reassured Philip. 'It's only Harry – he's coming up the drive. And it looks like he's got a policeman with him.'

And sure enough, a battered old Ford pulled up outside the sanctuary, and Harry, accompanied by a portly-looking policeman, climbed out.

'Come on,' said Philip firmly. 'You two should be inside where it's warm. And you need a hot drink inside you. You'll catch your death of cold.'

'But what about guarding the fence?' asked Jack. 'We oughtn't to leave it.'

'I'll stand guard,' said Lucy-Ann, managing to sound braver than she looked. 'After all, I need only shout to Harry if anything happens, and he and the policeman will be here in a trice.'

'Ok then,' agreed Philip. 'But shout loudly if you see or hear anything at all.'

'Of course,' said Lucy-Ann. 'Now off you go, before you freeze to death.'

Lucy-Ann waited nervously by the fence and watched the others cross the lawn and speak to Harry and the policeman. Then she saw Harry look alarmed, and glance over towards the forest.

'They must have told him about the creature,' she thought.

She watched Harry usher Dinah, Jack and Philip into the sanctuary office before quickly reappearing and entering into deep discussion with the policeman.

'No doubt Philip will be on duty to make the cocoa and stoke the fire for poor Jack and Dinah,' thought Lucy-Ann, trying to take her mind off the thought that at any moment, a huge and potentially dangerous creature might burst out of the forest.

After what felt like an age, but was really only a couple of minutes, Harry and the policeman strode across the lawn and joined Lucy-Ann at the fence.

'This is PC Batty,' said Harry. 'The others have told us what happened. I sent them into the office to make some cocoa. Why don't you go in and have some too?'

Lucy-Ann longed for a mug of hot cocoa, but decided to linger for a little longer. She was curious to know what the policeman would say and do.

PC Batty started to examine the damaged fence. He was a middle-aged man, tall and heavy set through too many good dinners at Betty's cafe, and his uniform buttons were rather strained across his middle. His head was nearly bald and his helmet strap stretched tightly over his fleshy pink cheeks.

'Yes, this is where he got in all right,' said PC Batty. 'This fence has been cut with a powerful and sharp implement. He came well prepared and equipped for the job.'

Peering beyond the fence, he eyed the tracks that Jack and Dinah had made on their way into and out of the forest. Then he turned his gaze on Lucy-Ann.

'And have you seen any signs of this so-called creature? Or heard anything unusual?' he demanded.

'No, sir,' said Lucy-Ann meekly, a little over-awed at being spoken to by a policeman.

PC Batty hesitated, standing first on one leg and then the other.

'Well, aren't you going to look for evidence?' prompted Harry. 'The intruder has left clear tracks – why don't you follow them?'

PC Batty gulped.

'Follow them... into the woods?' he asked.

'Of course into the woods!' exclaimed Harry. 'The tracks go into the woods, so you have to go into the woods!'

'But... what if there really is some kind of creature in there?' said PC Batty, doubtfully. 'I think I need some back up.'

'Back up!' snorted Harry. 'Back up! Man alive! Who is there to give you back up – you're the only policeman for thirty miles!'

Then he continued in a sarcastic tone, 'Or perhaps you want me to send for my Betty to go with you? Or the vicar – though he's nearly 80. Pull yourself together man! There's nothing dangerous in them there woods – this is England, not Africa.'

PC Batty gripped his truncheon firmly, and gulped several times. Muttering and grumbling under his breath, he fought his way through the gap in the fence and plodded reluctantly into the forest.

Once PC Batty was out of sight Harry sent Lucy-Ann indoors to join the others whilst he set about mending the damaged fence. Lucy-Ann bounded across the snowy lawn with relief, pleased that she had been brave enough to stand by the fence alone.

'Perhaps one day I will be as brave as Dinah,' she thought wistfully. 'She is as brave as any boy I know... well, except when it comes to mice and creepy crawlies!'

Reaching the office door, Lucy-Ann pushed it open. Immediately she was hit by a blast of lovely warm air. The office was a cosy, cluttered room. It had a desk and a chair, some shelves piled high with books and papers, a woodburning stove and a huge basket of dry logs. Philip, Dinah and Jack were sitting on rugs huddled around the stove, each cupping a steaming mug of cocoa. The stove had been packed with logs and was burning fiercely. Jack's previously ashen cheeks were now pink again, and Dinah was looking decidedly less wet and shivery.

'Here you are,' said Philip, handing Lucy-Ann a mug, full to the brim with cocoa. 'It's got plenty of sugar in. Sit down, there's room next to me.'

He shuffled to one side in order to make a space for Lucy-Ann close to the stove.

'Oh, thanks Philip,' said Lucy-Ann, sipping the hot liquid. 'My, this cocoa is awfully good.'

'Have a biscuit, they're delicious' said Dinah. 'Harry said we can help ourselves to as many as we like; after all, we've had no lunch today.'

She passed Lucy-Ann a battered old tin containing chocolate chip cookies and ginger nuts. Lucy-Ann selected a cookie and took a big bite. The slightly crunchy outside gave way to a soft chewy centre, and it was studded with little chips of milk chocolate.

'Hmmmm, this isn't a shop bought cookie – it must be one of Betty's', mumbled Lucy-Ann. 'It's gorgeous!'

When the children were warm, dry and comfortable, Philip turned to Jack and Dinah.

'Tell us more about what you saw,' he asked, looking perplexed.

'It was the same creature I saw before,' said Dinah firmly. 'Very tall, and covered all over with light brown fur.'

'What about you, Jack?' prompted Philip. 'What did you make of it?'

Jack flushed a little.

'Well, I didn't really get a good look at it,' he said with some hesitation.

'Ok, but what did you manage to see – what was it like?' persisted Philip.

'Well... I guess I didn't really see anything at all. But I definitely got the impression there was something there. And I heard twigs snapping as it walked about.'

'But you didn't actually see it,' said Philip slowly. 'Dinah is the only one who claims to have seen it.'

At these words Dinah flared up immediately.

'I don't claim to have seen it – I did see it!' she snapped, her eyes flashing.

'I'm not doubting you, Dinah,' said Philip, in a tone that did little to reassure Dinah. 'I'm just stating the fact. You say you have seen it twice, but no one else has seen it at all – not even today, when Jack was right there next to you.'

Dinah shifted uneasily in her seat.

'There's something else to tell you about it,' she said at last. 'But I don't know if I should tell you... I'm not at all sure you believe me as it is,' she added, glancing at Philip.

'I believe you, Dinah, I really do,' reassured Lucy-Ann.

'So do I,' said Jack. 'I didn't actually see anything... but I felt that something was there.'

Philip suppressed a sigh.

'Really!' he said to himself. 'I can understand the girls getting a bit over-imaginative and hysterical, but now Jack has joined in!'

'So, what else do you have to tell us?' prompted Lucy-Ann.

Once again, Dinah looked uneasy. She hesitated, as if she was trying to figure something out in her own mind. At last, she spoke.

'When I clicked the camera, the creature turned round to look in our direction. But... its head was just brown all over... it didn't seem to have any face!'

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